To resonate or not
Where does everything stops when it comes to resonances? Casually we might think, that nothing really matters, but objectively we can experience every little nuances, that makes changes into our sound environment and nevertheless listening systems. We also feel things things. Our body is ultra complex metering system, that behave and respond differently to impulses from the surroundings.
Is there a place for prejudice in the field of dealing with vibrations? Yes! Over the years our perceptions and knwoledge do change and we can cherish finer and subtle things. While excessive loud listening might already damaged our aural senses and we become less effective as in younger age, there is still quite large spectrum to cover with our audial fine machines :).
To reflect in the terms of almost sublime physical changes in the way we interact with music. When you’re pass the regular sound-stage, pinpointing etc. music slowly began to become something more. More in the sense of understanding it and feeling it. All the changes, so called timber, speed, attacks and other micro definitions, that could form a certain label are morphing into a decoding language, that speaks to us.
Is there a place for prejudice in the field of dealing with vibrations? Yes! Over the years our perceptions and knwoledge do change and we can cherish finer and subtle things. While excessive loud listening might already damaged our aural senses and we become less effective as in younger age, there is still quite large spectrum to cover with our audial fine machines :).
To reflect in the terms of almost sublime physical changes in the way we interact with music. When you’re pass the regular sound-stage, pinpointing etc. music slowly began to become something more. More in the sense of understanding it and feeling it. All the changes, so called timber, speed, attacks and other micro definitions, that could form a certain label are morphing into a decoding language, that speaks to us.
Meet Pro Audio Bono
Pro Audio Bono is a young Polish manufacturing audio company. Besides anti-vibration products they manufacture also anti-vibration racks, stands for stand-mount loudspeakers and unique (patented, just like the platforms and racks) anti-vibration feet using bearings. It's great to see new audiophile companies rising in the current state of highend audio happenings it's great to see reasonably priced products. Pro Audio Bono is increasing their market space and sells already their products in Great Britain, Norway and Sweden.
Pro Audio Bono Basic Anti Vibration Platform
How one’s startsto observe such a platform? From aesthetic, practical, technical or money-vise view?
It would be the best, that I simply convey my listening notes and the way PAB platform instantly reminded me of the feelings from simple, yet elaborating logic of SME. It was probably my extensive use of PAB platform under my Thorens TD-235 turntable, that brought back those memories. Spring based floating system, that Wladek created brought back the glimpse to the approached, that SME are using with their floating sub chassis. There is nothing similar between SME or PAB. They only share simple and thought principle of floating and dealing with resonances.
PAB plafrom goes further with adjustments. You can level the platform itself with the four adjustable spring loaded knobs. Yes! You can level platform and any given component resting on it separately from your other part of audio rack system, being on the same rack, table or any other audio supported furniture. PAB platform works greatly even as power amp sub holder system platform. I used PAB in that way with great result for a while. Be ware about the weight, but there are no fix rules about how PAB platform can be used.
I tried PAB platform as suggested from Wladek, with CD player, preamp, turntable etc. My favourite combination was with CD player and turntable. I did get noticeable results with preamplifier, but the effect on CD player and especially on turntable makes all the difference. I would go even so far and recommend PAB to anybody using light-weighted or semi light-weighted sub chassis based turntable. It will be your friend not only when dealing with the air-born resonances of acoustical feedback (walls, floor, speakers...), but it will also effectively and evidently deal with the inherent resonances of certain components.
Rytmh, speed and attack
Effectively. PAB platform acts as expected and beyond. Primal goal of isolation!? Dealt within that teritorry and checked! It wont act a magical machine, but in a combination of well selected mixture of materials being used by your supportive audio rack you'll find yourself actual working solution, that deals with all sorts of resonance, audio waves and other distorting energies attacking the right wholeness of desired and planned audio system.
Donald Fagen, Sting, Lightnin hopkins, Dire Straits. Hand in hand with my front ends PAB helped arise the level of awareness of my favorite audio catalog of my shelves. For those needed the PRAT confirmation you got my positive nod. PAB platform affects it in a remarkable way.
Effectively. PAB platform acts as expected and beyond. Primal goal of isolation!? Dealt with and checked! It wont act a magical machine, but in a combination of well selected mixture of materials being used by your supportive audio rack you'll find yourself in a well actual working solution, that deals with all sorts of resonance, audio waves and other distorting energies in so called attacking and resolving the right wholeness of desired and planned audio system.
Pro Audio Bono patented audio Ball bearings
Pro Audio Bono Reference Anti Vibration Platform comes with a patent pending ball bearings, that mounts directly on the Reference platform. Those bearings offer unique isolation from the audio rack itself and with floating isolation, they are an effective solution for further de-cuppling. They actually levitate with the mass, since their integrated contraction is not fixed-locked. The mass itself fixate the to the surface below. This approach is offer even less frictional and smaller point of connection with the source of vibration. It's innovative and fresh thinking.
When removed from Reference Anti Vibration Platform, there were sudden lost of things refined. Musicality lacked a bit of a pace and it seems that absence of synergy between Reference Anti Vibration Platform and ball bearings lost it's initial impact.
I can recommend PAB bearings as solo solid significant improvement opportunity to your existing solutions. Those bearings are already quite popular in Poland.
This can be a closed the story of PAB platform. It add mass and it even further refine the principle, but as written in next paragraph it's might be also suitable in a certain way.
Everything become larger with Reference elaboration and addition. Most noticeable was the depth of the space and music attacks. If I elaborate in the terms of usual jargon; there were also blacker blacks.
Reference upgrade is evident in more then subtle way. This is a safe upgrade to existing PAB platform.
Pro Audio Bono Basic vs Reference Anti Vibration Platform
Both Basic and reference platform offer a significant improvement in dealings with resonances and vibrations as elaborated above. As mentioned in above paragraph Reference platform add quite few things, but they also differ a bit. Read on.
I would say they differ in the way they transfer and deal with energy of resonances. Higher mass sometimes acts differently with different gear. Basic platform acted greatly with turntables based on sub-chassis principle, CD players, DAC's etc. From my late night listening note I can say that Reference Platform gained more when used with power amplifiers, integrated amplifier etc. It seems, that this is in not only in connection with higher initial mass, but with the resonances, that are produced by larger transformers, that are usually incorporated in amplifiers. I know, that sonic differences might be of subjective matter and thing of opinion, but everything written here came up on frequent base in my notes. This notes are my guidelines and some sort of safe anchors when summing everything up. You cannot go wrong with any of those two, but my impressions might help you.
Conclusion
This is one of the better thought out and manufactured platforms. It shows how many hours went into designing it and there are unmistakable benefits in real life. I cannot say easily and draw such conclusion for many so called audiophile and absorption platforms, that passed my lab.
Highly recommended.
This is one of the better thought out and manufactured platforms. It shows how many hours went into designing it and there are unmistakable benefits in real life. I cannot say easily and draw such conclusion for many so called audiophile and absorption platforms, that passed my lab.
Highly recommended.
Matej Isak
Mono and Stereo ultra high end audio magazine
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